Thanks for the responses! Mightyanvil, I know what you're saying about asking our architect, and I will definitely do that, but I have to say that I've realized over the past 8 months working with him that he and I don't always have the same taste, especially on the details...maybe it's my east coast aesthetic vs. his west coast aesthetic. My "eye" still tells me that clapboard should be smooth like the New England farmhouses I remember growing up around, but maybe it's different for Prairie/Craftsman style? Also, he has not specified every single detail (such as colors). He's pretty much just spec'd materials and left individual color choices to us. Yes, I do have elevations, but since our architect is "old school" they are hand drawn and are not on my computer. Maybe I can reduce and scan them. I'll see about that. Ronnatilie, your house looks great. Thanks so much for the photo, which helps a lot!! Our house is similar in style with hip roofs and a mix of exterior siding. Our windows are white (we went with Andersen wood and vinyl clad so the exterior of the window, unfortunately, can't be painted), and I think this window color choice limits us in exterior siding colors. I don't care for the look of brownish earth tone colors in siding, up against a white window, so I'm thinking that we're going to stick to a dark charcoal grey on the stucco, some sort of lighter grey on the Hardiplank, and a stone with greys and other colors in it. I'd love to find a good photo of that combination or similar, but I'm having a hard time finding one. Thanks again for the help. Please keep it coming! Susan

Winnie - thanks and yes it is MT. Hardie on top and color matched paint on bottom. I also agree looks more gray, which works better with stone so I was pleased. I think looks more gray because I don’t have a lot of direct sun with trees and also the paint on brick goes darker.

Sorry, I can't vouch for Emerald on Hardie, but I can report really good performance from Sherwin Williams Duration on both Hardie and cedar siding (my home is a combination of both) in a demanding coastal Virginia climate. A paint job is only as good as the weakest link. As Springtime notes, cut ends are a potential problem area. They need to be primed after cutting. I also recommend using the best caulk you can find; it needs to last as longer or longer than the paint job.

A better picture of the house (more of a close up) would help, but . . . 1) It looks like your brick has a brown undertone and the Light Mist siding is a gray with a touch of blue. You might want to look at some of the warmer grays. 2) I'm not a proponent of painting brick. You take a no maintenance product and turn it into a long term maintenance issue. 3) A wider siding would make the facade look less busy. I would look at wider boards. 4) When you do the siding don't put the shutters back (except maybe on the single windows. They are not appropriate on the double windows. If you're interested in seeing some virtual makeovers of your home check my web site, Creative Visual Concepts.